London-Amsterdam by rail at 300km/h

The high-speed rail operator Eurostar opens up a new gateway to Europe.

High-speed rail operator Eurostar will launch its latest direct connection from London next week, to Amsterdam, with the inaugural journey taking place on February 20, challenging air travel’s dominance on the route.

The launch of the London to Amsterdam service “marks a historic milestone in the expansion of international high-speed rail travel”, Eurostar says.

For the first time, passengers will be able to travel from St Pancras Station in central London directly to the Netherlands at a speed of 300 kilometres per hour, reaching Rotterdam in three hours and Amsterdam in 3 hours 41 minutes.

Following this inaugural journey, the new line to the Netherlands will start on April 4 with one-way fares from £35 (€40). Two trains depart per day each way.

Less carbon
Around £1 billion has been invested in new trains and better connectivity on the UK-Europe network, so that Eurostar says its passengers can now use “fast, seamless rail connections” between the UK and mainland Europe.

Passengers can now travel by rail direct between the UK and stations in the Netherlands, France and Belgium, “three of its top trading nations”. The operator also points out that a journey between London and Amsterdam emits 80% less carbon than the equivalent short-haul flight.